High-Rise is a 2015 British science-fiction thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List; Sightseers; A Field in England; The ABCs of Death: ‘U is for Unearthed’) based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J.G. Ballard (Crash). It was produced by Jeremy Thomas (Naked Lunch).
Cast:
Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers), Sienna Miller, Luke Evans (The Raven; Dracula Untold) and Elisabeth Moss.
Plot:
London, 1975. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a young doctor seduced by the lifestyle in a high-rise, an isolated community, cut off from the rest of society in their luxury tower block, and its creator, the architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons). Taking up residence on the twenty-fifth floor, Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Sienna Miller).
After Laing befriends Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), a documentary filmmaker relegated to the second floor who is determined to provoke the class injustices inherent in the high-rise, a dangerous social situation develops and the high-rise eventually fragments into violent tribes…
Reviews:
” … a deliciously dark satire that feels fresh and original in spite of the fact that it’s based on a book that was published 40 years ago. Ben Wheatley’s most visually arresting film, it’s fuelled by a superb soundtrack and fine performances. But it’s also a film that feels like it doesn’t have an ending, the journey startling but leading to a destination that ultimately disappoints.” Chris Tilly, IGN
“What began as a self-contained allegory on open class warfare becomes a showcase for stylistic anarchy, wherein the ensuing orgy of sex and violence serves to justify a near-total breakdown of cinematic form. Those with an appetite for aberrant creative visions could make “High-Rise” a hot cult property, though this unruly black comedy doesn’t work on any of the levels mainstream audiences expect.” Peter Debruge, Variety
“In some ways this is a creative adventure. It shows Wheatley for the first time stretching his talent to fit a film with stars and expectation. It’s not a disaster, but the faults stack up. It took nearly 40 years for High Rise to make it to big screen. After all that time, this is a bit of a dog’s dinner.” Henry Barnes, The Guardian
” … darkly comic, High-Rise is almost flawless. The sets are stunning, the music is perfect and Wheatley has Ballard’s off-the-wall humour down to a T. But High-Rise is a film that asks a lot of its audience, glossing over some of the more crucial events (namely the breakdown itself) through montages and leaving the watcher to piece it together. The screen time is stretched too thin over the ensemble cast, leaving gaps in their stories here and there.” Natasha Furlong, The Upcoming
Buy: Amazon.co.uk
